Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported by your browser. For this reason, some items on this page will be unavailable. For more information about this message, please visit this page: About CDC.gov.

What is CDC’s Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) program?

The RPE program provides funding to state health departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. RPE recipients work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including state sexual violence coalitions, educational institutions, rape crisis centers, community organizations and other state agency partners to guide implementation of their state sexual violence prevention efforts. These collaborations have strengthened states’ sexual violence prevention systems, leveraging resources and enhancing prevention opportunities.

What guides the work of the RPE program?

Primary prevention—stopping sexual violence before it begins—is the cornerstone of the RPE program. Program activities are guided by a set of principles that include:

Additionally, states are working to strengthen their ability to collect program evaluation data about their sexual violence prevention strategies and use that data to improve their work. Ultimately, the innovative work of RPE programs will contribute further to our knowledge, understanding and practice to prevent sexual violence.

What is CDC’s role in preventing sexual violence?

As our nation’s health protection agency, CDC provides leadership to keep America safe and healthy and to save lives and resources through prevention. CDC’s role in sexual violence prevention is unique because no other federal agency is working to prevent sexual violence perpetration and victimization before it begins. This means promoting comprehensive approaches to address the factors that contribute to risk for sexual violence and fostering the factors that protect against sexual violence.

Evidence about what works to prevent sexual violence is growing, and CDC’s Injury Center is providing tools, training and technical assistance to RPE programs to promote use of the most current evidence of effectiveness to inform their efforts.

CDC’s goal is to reduce the burden of sexual violence in our communities and society.

How was the RPE program established?

The Violence Against Women Act, passed by Congress in 1994 and most recently reauthorized in 2013, established the Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) program at CDC. The RPE program seeks to develop and strengthen sexual violence prevention efforts at the local, state, and national level.

What is sexual violence?

Sexual violence is a significant public health problem which affects the lives of millions of people in the United States. Sexual violence can lead to serious short and long-term health consequences including physical injury, poor mental health and chronic physical health problems, which contribute to a substantial public health burden.